Anybody can write about what happened in a game. Few can explain why it happened and critique the results.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Game 73: Revenge

It had to end sooner or later....The Boston Bruins put up a valiant effort in an attempt to defend their 12-game winning streak against divisional and heated rival, the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs made good on their promise to come out playing hard, and they forced Boston to play their agitating style. The B's could not get to 13 games. Congrats, Montreal. Now, some of the pressure is off their shoulders for the remainder of the year. Perhaps this would be an ideal time to rest some of the starters? Well, maybe after Thursday's game. The Bruins took on the Chicago Blackhawks in a rematch from last year's Stanley Cup Final. The Blackhawks took the only meeting of the year back in January-a 3-2 shootout victory. With Patrick Kane out for the rest of the regular season, Chicago has been struggling to find some offense. They still have enough veterans to give the Bruins a good game.Hey, this could very well be another preview of the Cup Finals in June. Even though this was just a cross-conference game, both teams would love the edge in case that matchup comes to fruition. In the first period, the Bruins suffocated the Hawks by shutting down the stretch pass. They were in control for most of the game, but Chicago racked up the shots early on. After jumping out to a 1-0 lead, the Bruins never looked back.As quickly as the game went by, it still seemed like it could sway either way. Once the Bruins scored two quick goals in the third period, it was over. Tuukka Rask recorded his seventh shutout of the year to seal the 3-0 victory for the B's. When you go 13-0-1 in your last 14 games, that is how you know that you are playing at a high level. Expect Boston to rest most of its starters in the upcoming games.The Bruins will embark on a four-game road trip, starting on Saturday when they travel to Washington D.C. to take on the Capitals. Gold Star: Patrice Bergeron...Will this guy ever take a game off? Never. Two goals and a plus-two rating for him was enough to overcome the defending champs.
Black Star: Shawn Thornton...In a game like this, it was like picking the worst of the best.